Waiting for Death
by Rayless Night
Summary: Many things can happen in a single night. Some cost more than you think you can give.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: I'm definitely not the first writer to explore the Yuga Mountain plot arc, or the Golden Hotpod. In fact, I understand that__ bonus materials exclusive to Japan have worked up a Golden Hotpod story. (However, it's outside of the game, so I tell myself that, like mangas, it's not canonical and still open to fanficcers. Whether or not that argument makes sense is something else entirely.) This fic is just my take on both.  
_

_Disclaimer: __Soul Nomad and the World Eaters__ is the property of Nippon Ichi Software. The Golden Hotpod is the property of Gig if he ever finds it. Rating is for language, violence and suggestive themes. This story is totally separate from my previous Yuga Mountain story, "Flirting With Death". It is only two chapters long.

* * *

_**Waiting for Death

* * *

1  
**

_You seriously wanna just take this?_

"Hussy!"

_I'm not enjoying it either. But I don't want to get tied up in a fight, okay?_

"Slut!"

_Kid, I don't know about you, but I am not used to shrugging this sort of vocabulary off. _

_Gig-_

"Vixen!"

_Shit, "vixen" already. Next step's going to be "whore", right?_

_Hey, I don't normally get called these things either. Let's just go._

_You see me lingering with all my devoted groupies?_

"SCARLET WOMAN!"

"Damn," Gig muttered once they were out of ear shot. "It's not the 'scarlet' that pisses me off as much as the 'woman'."

"I'm surprised the entire village chased us out like that," the kid commented. "You'd think they'd never seen a bit of cleavage."

"Chaste, chased. It's an old pun. You work with it." Though he took a moment to, once again, rebutton his shirt, knowing it was only a matter of time before the buttons worked their way free. Sure, the kid had suggested they stop at her room before they left and get one of her shirts, it being accustomed to Gig's new needs, but he hadn't wanted to stop for anything. "Screw that village. We'll find supplies on our own."

"So we're going to forage?" came the kid's voice from his own throat. He was starting to become used to it. In some ways, it wasn't too different from their great saving the world spree; in other ways, it was more purgatory than he could ever imagine. The kid's voice jolted him again out of his brooding. "Hoard nuts like squirrels?"

"Feeling bitchy, huh? C'mon, at least we aren't going to have a time of month." His skin went cold, like the prelude to a fever sweat. "Merciful hell, we'd better not."

The kid didn't answer.

"Or are you savoring the joys of being schlepped around in someone else's body? Not so much fun, is it?"

"And I can't even tempt you to use my awesome godlike powers." Her voice sound marginally more resigned. "I'd forgotten it was this far to Yuga. Which is stupid, seeing as we've been there and back again in three days."

Gig flicked red (_red_) strands of hair out of his red (RED) eyes. But that wasn't the worst of it. At least in their last fusion, no one had had to go through the indignity of being some androgynous sideshow reject.

_I know,_ the kid said, speaking directly into his thoughts. _I'm suffering too._

The road was climbing uphill, towards the Yuga Mountains. Gig stopped and braced his leg against a boulder, crossing his elbows on it to rest a moment. "Hell. We aren't suffering as much as that wench will. And the stupid cow. And the geriatric Redflank."

"But Grunzford's the only one who knew how to break the curse. If he hadn't told us, we'd be..."

"Yeah, but no one said he had to tell us in front of the whole friggin' world! Crap, I do not need the cow patty holding this over my head." As the kid didn't reply, Gig stretched and started walking again. "What sort of tests did he mean, anyway?" Gig tipped his head back towards the sky, thinking. He wasn't going to say it, but all he could imagine was some sort of obstacle course...Nah. Maybe some crackpot Q & A session... Shit.

"You-" The kid's voice cut off, and for some reason she shifted to telepathy. _You think we can do this?_

He shrugged. "What's harder than saving two worlds? We already did that."

_Yeah, but...this doesn't involve destroying things with sharp weapons and large explosions._

Gig raised his eyebrows. "Maybe it does. Maybe all we have to do is combine our twu wuv and shellac a dragon or something."

"Like with Raksha?"

"Yeah, like - no. Raksha wasn't about true love."

"Well, it was about unifying our wills." She paused. _That may be the best we can hope for._

"Such confidence in your soulmate, kid."

She didn't hesitate this time. "You want me to think of you being in touch with your romantic side?"

"Point taken." Gig noticed some leaves along the side of the road. "Sweet! Wild hotpods!"

After a moment, he heard the kid laugh in his head. _Yeah, okay. We'll bank on our shared love of hotpods. Maybe that'll fool the Tear into thinking we're passionate lovers.

* * *

_The road vanished after three hours, and from there, it was rough half-walking, half-climbing much of the way. They bivouacked at sunset, Gig setting up his tent, which he'd brought for their initial trip up the mountain; much of the kid's gear had been left at the Village. Gig lit a fire that was more to ward off animals than anything else - too small to cook, see or really be warmed by. He then stretched on his back in front of the tent, arms behind head, ankles crossed. "You've been awfully quiet. Worn out from all the excitement?"

There was a short silence before she spoke. "What did you use to do when you were bored? When you were inside of me."

He laughed. "What else? Bother you." He reached to his belt and pulled out his small knife, examining its edge. "This isn't the thrill of your life? Being inside the magnificent body of the magnificent Gig?"

"Funny, this doesn't exactly seem to be your body..."

"Shut up about the rack, kid," Gig snapped. "If you think I haven't noticed it, you're-"

"I was in your body such a short time before," the kid went on. "I didn't realize how...confining-"

"Brilliant you are."

"-it must be. I thought _I_ was the one who was really suffering."

"Great mind." Gig replaced the knife. "One of these days, you'll give the cow a run for her money."

"Ahoy there!" called a male voice.

Gig rolled smoothly into a sitting position, one hand resting - just so - on the haft of his scythe. But beyond that he remained still as a thickset shadow approached the firelight. _What do you think?_ he asked. _Fool him or just freak him out beyond belief?_

_Are you really going to listen to what I say? If we can fool him, maybe he'll give us some supplies. If we freak him out - nothing._

As if on cue - maybe the kid had found a way to cause it - his stomach rumbled. _Talk away, dearest._

"Hey," the kid said as their visitor stepped into view. From the bad light provided by the fire, they could see that he was close to middle aged, a scruffy brown beard covering his chin and his hair hanging in a long ponytail. He leaned on a battered spear and had a haversack over one shoulder.

"You don't meet many travelers on this road." His voice was rough, like he didn't use it much.

Gig drummed his fingers on the scythe haft. _Don't invite him to share our fire._

_It's just polite when you're traveling. Besides, he may have food._

_Then let's knock him out and-_

_Gig- _Then there was a silence_. Actually, there isn't anything I can do to stop you, is there? _

The man had already sat down, easing his limp haversack to the ground. "Where you headed, miss? There ain't much out here."

Gig bared his teeth at the "miss", which made the kid's calm tone all the more incongruous. "Just traveling. Um. Seeing the world."

_Damn, you were never good at lying._

_At least I don't give it away by laughing._

_No, you just give it away by being yourself._

"Still, lots of wild critters around." He raised his scraggly eyebrows. "Beasts that would rip a young thing like you to ribbons."

"Well..." Her voice was vague.

"Seems to me" - the man leaned forward - "someone like you needs protection. All alone - the dark mountains." He smiled. "I've lived in these mountains apace, and...I gotta tell you, it's a long time since I've shared a fire with such a pretty girl."

"_Pretty?"_ Gig snarled.

The man blinked, hard.

"Um-" the kid started.

"No, no, kid, I'll handle this," Gig interrupted, swinging to his feet, scythe in hand. "First of all, what's a backwater, inbred shitwad like you doing picking up girls in the middle of nowhere? Second, where the hell do you get off mistaking me for one? And barring all that, how dare you imply that I need protection?"

The man had scrambled to his feet, goggling - quite unabashedly - at Gig's chest. "You're a - you're a-"

"I'm pissed is what I am, and you're about to be a corpse with a scythe shoved up its - Damn, he ran fast."

"You can't really blame him for thinking..."

"Hell yes, I can." Snorting, Gig settled himself back down. "I did not come up here to be propositioned by hermits."

Another pause. "If you have to look like a girl, aren't you glad you're a pretty one?"

Crap, she was jibing him. Crap, crap, crap - "Crap!" Gig angsted into the night. "I'm sleeping on rocks out in the middle of nowhere, I have no more food, and I'm a friggin' hermaphrodite!" When the kid didn't answer, he snapped, "Well?"

He needed her consent (and vice versa) to read her thoughts, but he sensed her consciousness slowing down. _Aren't you tired?_

"Shit," Gig grumbled. "Fine, go to sleep. Bring me back a souvenir from La-La Land."

As expected, he didn't get much sleep that night.

* * *

He didn't say so, but Gig wasn't entirely sure he'd be able to find his way back to that fateful tombstone. After all, it had been night when their unhappy union began. But after only a few false trails, they came to the monument around noon, its skewed angles unforgettable. He stopped, and for a long moment they just stared at it.

"Our life," Gig said, "has been screwed over by a slab of granite."

"The Crimson Tear, actually," the kid said.

"Makes no difference." He glanced around. "You see any tests?"

"I see what you see." The kid was in one of her unhelpful moods.

Gig sighed, spurring his brain into action. Tests of true love... All he could see were potential tests of true mountaineering. "How about this?" he said blandly. "I'll carve our initials on this rock. Will that be proof enough?"

They stared at the tombstone.

"Try it on a different rock," the kid said.

"You took me seriously?"

"We may as well start trying."

It took some time - in fact, it took a quarter hour - just for Gig's knife to shallowly scrape white lines across a boulder. He wrote a _G_, then an _R_, then drew a hotpod around them. Then turned to the tombstone and raised an eyebrow.

The kid hadn't spoken in awhile. Irritated, Gig called her on it. _I just..._she said after a moment. _I think the stone knows we're faking._

"Faking, huh?" Gig jammed the knife back into its sheath. "You saying you aren't crazy for me?" The kid didn't answer, but he hadn't expected her to. He wasn't sure if it were an eye-rolling silence or an embarrassed silence. And he wasn't about to ask.

Especially because a pain shot through him, from his stomach straight into his brain. He dug his fingers into the ground, sucking in his breath. The kid made no sound, but he could feel her mind, tense as a vise, and his body trembled, harder and harder, like it was trying to shake both of them loose.

Then it was gone. He almost pitched forward onto his face. "Shit! You all right, kid?"

No answer.

Damn - no. Not again. _Kid!_

Something shifted inside his head. _What...was that?_

_You all right?_ Gig asked again.

_Yeah._ Then more firmly: _Sure. You?_

In answer, Gig stood, squeezing the muscles in his legs to keep them from shaking.

_Was that a test?_

"Some test," Gig shot back. "More likely, my body's going haywire with from all the crazy shit that's happened to it."

_It was...sort of like when I lost my body. But much worse._

Gig frowned. With that tidbit of information, he couldn't argue that he was getting sick. Then he straightened and looked over his shoulder, to the far slope of the mountain.

_I hear it too,_ the kid said. _Footsteps._

Gig stooped and retrieved his scythe, coming up just as a figure appeared on the slope. Figure was what he noticed first, for it was a young woman, her long blonde hair loose and flowing over her traveling cloak. She stiffened when she saw him, one hand coming to her mouth.

_Great, another hapless nobody steps into the fray._

_Just let her go, Gig. We don't need trouble._

_If she doesn't move soon, I'm going to help her along._

Slowly, the girl lowered her hand. "You...wow." She glanced at the tombstone. "It really works?"

Gig blinked. "Works? The hell? You call this" - and, without really noticing, he gestured to his chest - "_working?_"

"I'm sorry," the girl said, coming only a step forward. "It's just...I thought that was only a legend."

"Great, so now I'm legendary."

"Did-" The girl flinched. "Did your friend die?" She glanced around. "There must've been someone else, or I don't see how it could've triggered."

"Oh, she's fine," Gig replied. "Only cooped up inside my freakin' body, which, by the way, has seen better days. Say hello, kid."

"Do you know how to lift the curse?" the kid asked.

The girl chewed her nail, remarkably unsurprised. "No, but...maybe our village elder does. I mean, she's the one who always warned us about the stone." She laughed shortly. "I thought she was just threatening us not to come up here and snog."

"Spare us your reminiscences, girlie," Gig said. _Just what we need,_ he added to the kid. _A chat with another village elder. Hell knows how helpful _our_ village elder is._ Not even trying to look cheery, he sauntered over to the girl. _Careful, kid. Be ready for traps._

"It's this way," she said, turning down the slope. After a moment, she glanced back. "My name's Eleni."

"Call us Gig."

"Or Revya," the kid put in.

"No, _Gig_,"Gig said._ Gig's body, so we're being called Gig._

_My mind's in your body. So we're just as much me as you._

_No. It's still my body._

_Your body with my coloring and-_

_It's still my body no matter how screwed up it is. Your body vanished. So be a good little soul squatter and pipe down._

She was quiet, and he thought he'd won the argument until she spoke again, tentative even in his thoughts. _Gig?_

_What?_

_Do you really think my body's gone? For good?_

_How should I know?_ He could feel her mind slip away in uneasiness. _Yeah, losing your body's no party. But hey, we lift this curse and everything'll be back to normal._

_Will it?_

_What are you getting at?_

_Well, what if...you know, my soul leaves your body and...that's it?_

Gig's steps slowed.

_If my soul doesn't have a body to return to, then..._

Gig's steps sped up again. _If that were part of the curse, don't you think the Redflank would've mentioned it?_

_Maybe he didn't know._

_Stop borrowing trouble, kid. Leave that to me.

* * *

_Eleni led them to a small cluster of huts in the side of the mountain. _Typically primitive,_ was Gig's reaction. It was nothing next to his old residence, Orviska Castle, and even the Hidden Village was palatial by comparison.

Eleni stopped in front of one of the huts and threw her cloak inside. "Wait here, please. I'll go talk to our elder." Gig leaned one shoulder against the side of the hut - thought better of it - straightened and watched her go.

_Do you mind?_ the kid asked.

_What?_

_I look at what you look at. So do you have to watch her butt like that?_

Gig shrugged. _Get over your inhibitions. Like I never had to put up with you checking out guys. _

There was a brief silence. _You seriously go for that type?_

_Kid, you don't need to go picking through my brain._

_I just mean - you know. With the...long hair and...dress?_

_You saw that ass. _Not surprisingly, the kid didn't reply. _What, is my little soulmate jealous?_

There was another silence. _Sorry. I'm just worried, that's all. I'll try not to be so touchy._

That surprised Gig. He hadn't been fishing for apologies. Honestly, he didn't think she had much to apologize for; that's what had made teasing her so fun. _Stop worrying. Damn, you're annoying._

She didn't answer.

Eventually, Eleni, hips swaying, returned. "The elder will see you. She's, uh..." Eleni ran her eyes up and down Gig's frame. "Very interested."

Gig fell into step beside her. "You all thought this was just some legend?"

"Well, yeah. You know." She shrugged. "Like, our parents always tell us not to go snog up at Hookman's point, because a ghost with a hook for a hand is supposed to guard it. And not to go fishing down at the lake, because there's a rabid squirrel man. And the Dark Forest - there's a tribe of inbred cannibals living there. And Jumping Razorface over at the gully. And-"

"And at the top of Yuga Mountain there's the Twisted Tombstone," an older woman's voice broke in. She strode towards them, wrinkly with long black hair. "Those who mock the dead will suffer a grievous fate." And she stared pointedly at Gig's bosom.

"Stop being mystical and tell us what to do," Gig advised.

"Such impatient words from one who has all his life ahead of him."

"Listen, you old bag, I remember things you couldn't even dream of, so don't talk down to me. In case you didn't notice, my body's been twisted, my friend's afraid she's lost her physical presence for good, and we're both starving. I suggest you cut to the point before I do the cutting for you."

The elder folded her hands. "The Tombstone dates to ancient times, where it was called the Stone of Salmacis-"

"Nix the history lesson." Gig angled his scythe forward, not exactly under the elder's chin, but close. Eleni sucked in her breath.

"Well, if you're that uninterested in the object that has cursed you, by all means. I suppose you want to know how to lift the curse?"

"Getting warm, lady. We heard something about a test of true love."

"Quite right. But that shouldn't be such a predicament, as you're already in this position."

Gig blinked. "What?" said the kid.

The elder gestured at the two of them. "This...fusion, I suppose. The Tear is bitter because of crossed love. If you two weren't already in love, it wouldn't have given you a second thought."


	2. Chapter 2

2

Gig blinked. He knew he was standing there looking like an idiot - and he knew the kid wouldn't react any faster than he did - and he should be using this time in deciding how to wipe out this village, but-

"What. The friggin' hell. Are you talking about?" No, no, too defensive. How about, "Shut the hell up, you wasted meat sack! I'm going to rip your intestines out through your nose and-"

"What?" said the kid before Gig had said anything.

"Only what I said," the elder replied placidly.

There were several more beats of silence before the kid's voice entered his head. _Gig? Are you all right? You're not catatonic or something?_

Gig swallowed, then deadpanned, "I am so blasted by the utter idiocy of what she said. I mean, I thought evolution was supposed to weed out nutjobs like her. If I was still the reaper, I wouldn't let this one back into the cycle. The world's bad enough without morons like this running around, and, believe me, asshattery does carry over into the next life."

"You put a lot of thought into your answer," the elder said. "That shows you care."

"Friggin' hell! Spare me your senile yammerings!"

She shook her head. "I can't retract the truth. The Tear only attacks lovers. Don't be so shy. Besides, I'm sure your friend is happy to know you're interested."

_Don't answer,_ Gig told the kid before continuing, "Shut up and tell us how to break the curse!"

The elder stared at him. Blinked. Smiled. Tut-tutted. And shook her head. "Such a rude young man."

"Aargh! Listen, crone-"

"Very little consideration for anyone."

"Consideration? Okay, hag, how's this? If you want to avoid the wholesale slaughter of this shit heap village, then you'll tell me every damn thing you know about this curse."

The elder folded her hands and smiled down at them.

"Look!" Gig wondered if he was actually frothing at the mouth; he certainly felt as though he were. "This isn't just my own problem! The kid's friggin' body is _gone!_"

The elder tapped her fingers together, then finally said, "We'll discuss this in the afternoon."

Gig swore and stepped back from her. "Fine - fiiiine. We've got no problem with that. This is just a leisurely outing. Happy vacation time."

"I'm sorry, Eleni," the elder said. "Would you mind?"

* * *

If Eleni minded, she didn't say so. All she asked was that Gig stay out of anyone's way. His only answer was a withering look.

Accepting her hospitality had a definite benefit - food. Gig savored a few moments to kick back and eat the bread, cheese and hotpods Eleni gave them.

_I wish she hadn't grimaced like that,_ the kid piped up.

Gig shrugged._ It's her own problem. Damn, this cheese is hard._

Uncertainty buzzed in his mind. It was the kid's, not his. _Gig?_ _Do you buy what she said? About the Tear picking us?_

Gig gnawed the cheese, then squinted at its strong flavor. _You know me. I always take the word of derelict smug wenches._

_I mean, seriously_.

Gig sheered off half a hotpod with one bite. _Look, I know the cow's not here, but you do _not_ need to compensate for our present lack of stupid_. Gig waited for her to answer, then waited some more. _Tch. Don't go off and sulk. You wanna think of us as wuvvers? Will that make you feel better?_

_I just don't want to be stuck like this._

Gig sighed and leaned back on his elbows. He could sense the kid thinking hard, the tension in her mind. Honestly, he doubted brainstorming would do much good at this point. And...he was beginning to doubt whether they'd find a way out of this mess. Not that he'd say so. He'd wait for her to give up before he crushed her hopes.

Crushed her hopes? Well, what else? If they weren't getting out of this, it was over, she wasn't getting her body back, and they were both screwed. But at least it was together.

Ah shit, he had not thought that.

Well, okay, he had, but he didn't mean it that way.

And he was feeling way too defeatist. Finishing the last hotpod, he swept to his feet.

_Any plans?_ the kid asked.

_Yeah, but I'm still open to input. Do you want to strangle that elder or just cut her in fifty pieces?_

The elder was drinking very muddy tea when they found her, sitting on a blanket on the edge of the village. She didn't look up when they approached, merely commenting, "I see 'afternoon' means different things to different people."

_You don't need to-_

But Gig ignored the kid and angled his scythe in front of the elder's face. Her eyebrows tensed, but she gave no other move.

"Unless you like to see us suffer - unless it gives you some sort of sicko pleasure - unless you want my friend to never get her body back - tell us how to break the curse."

"I like seeing people grow into their maturity," she said softly, "but barring that, I will still help you." She climbed to her feet. "I know of no surefire way to break the curse." She talked over Gig's growl. "However, you should return to the tombstone tonight, at the time of your fusing."

"Right, where we'll use you to placate the Tear with a blood sacrifice-"

"You're right that only the Tear has the answers you seek. But..." She smiled. "I doubt it's I the Tear wants to see dead."

Gig spun the scythe haft in his fingers.

"We have to die?" the kid asked.

"The Tear is very bitter," was all the elder said.

_Gig, don't hurt her,_ the kid broke in.

_Why the hell not? She's toying with us._

_This is bad enough already. I know I can't stop you, but..._

_Fine. This fleabag's not worth my time. _Gig shifted his weight back onto his heels, straightening the scythe into a walking stick.

Though he hadn't said anything, the elder smiled again. Which was almost enough to make him slaughter her.

* * *

They left the village long before they needed to, heading back towards the tombstone. "We are not going to die, kid," Gig muttered.

The kid didn't answer.

Gig paused on the mountain slope. "You awake in there?"

"I don't want to die," she said. "I seriously don't. But..."

"Kid, there's no point in dying just to get your body back. You won't be around to enjoy it."

"So you'd rather be stuck like this for the rest of our lives?"

Gig started walking again, knowing that if he remained silent, the kid wouldn't make him answer.

By the time they reached the tombstone, Gig hadn't reached any mental breakthroughs. Without consulting the kid, he sat down across from the stone, leaning against a boulder. What was going to happen that night? He had no clue, nothing to plan a strategy around. Hell, he doubted anything _would_ happen. Neither of them spoke as their shadow slanted eastward.

_Gig,_ the kid said shortly after sunset, when he'd wrapped his jacket around himself for warmth.

_I'm not here right now. Leave a message at the sound of the "damn"._

A long confused silence.

_Don't try to understand it, kid. Whaddaya want?_

_I was thinking...what if we just twisted the stone around again?_

Gig sighed and closed his eyes.

_What?_

_I really hope this doesn't work._

_Why?_

_Because you'll be smug as hell for the rest of your life. _And he stood, rubbing his arms to loosen the cold muscles. And, annoyed that the kid would be aware of how much effort this cost him, he wrenched the tombstone around.

The stars twinkled down.

But that was it.

"Damn!" Gig kicked the stone around again.

Something really should've happened this time, so it didn't.

Gig fell to his knees, grabbing either side of the stone, the closest he could get to yanking it up by the collar. "Listen, pebble! I've had it up to here with you - and all these soul fusions - and people losing their friggin' bodies! I did not travel back from the grave to be screwed over by a chunk of metamorphic lava shit! You have two seconds to-"

_Gig!_

But he was ahead of her. Throwing all his weight back, he pulled away from the stone -

- as tension snapped up his arms. He didn't get far. Problem was, his hands were suddenly welded to the stone, encased in a layer of something red and gemlike.

For a long moment, Gig didn't - couldn't - think. All he was aware of was his quick breathing and that he couldn't feel his hands.

_Kid,_ he said eventually,_ can you get out of my body?  
_

_No. But even if I could, I don't see how that would help._

_I didn't say it would. I'm just saying you'd get clear of this. But-_ He hauled back on his arms. _I think we're staying put._

Another long silence. He could practically hear the kid's brain chugging. _Look, we haven't tried everything._

"What do you suggest?" Gig shouted. "Shall I gnaw my arms off?" Struck by the idea, he glanced back at his scythe. It was out of reach of either of his feet, and even so...

"Crimson Tear," the kid said, "please, let us go."

Nothing.

"Aw, and you asked so nicely!" Gig snapped, wrenching himself back again, almost dislocating his left elbow.

The kid was talking again. "Let's - damn - remember Raksha - let's trying uniting our thoughts! Think of hotpods!"

"Arrgh! Luscious - beautiful - juicy - hotpods that I'll - never - see - again!"

"Yummy hotpods - ow - with syrup-"

"Yeah - shit - golden syrup and - argh! - pancakes-"

"We - aren't - dying here!"

"No way! We're - going home - if I have to - drag this paper weight back - argh!"

"We can do this! We - stopped - Raksha!"

"Damn right - huff! -Your - pate is slate!"

"What?"

"Well, it - daaaamn - doesn't have - an ass - so I can't say-"

"Gig, stop!"

"What? Damn." Arms shaking, he did stop. Blood was streaming from his wrists, flowing from under the layer of red crystal. "It's nothing. Just a little blood."

"But-"

"I'm used to it, I won't get queasy." He glanced around the dark mountainside, searching for anything that might help. The broad moonlight offered no clues.

"Heh," Gig said. Then he threw his head back and laughed. "I get it! I've figured it out!"

The kid knew him. Her voice, when she spoke, was more wary than hopeful. "How to break the curse?"

"Sure thing. The elder talked about death, right? And you started to stumble on to it. If this body dies, what happens to the two of us? Presto! Instant division. My soul goes one way, yours goes the other, and we're free from the curse!" He let off a long reel of laughter again, then abruptly cut it off, facing the stone. "Nice try, door stop, but neither of us is dying anytime soon."

He could sense the kid's unspoken _So now what?_

He sighed and closed his eyes, images crackling through his brain: reaping the soul cycle, the elder's face, the stupid cow... What had she said? Something about "taking care" of the kid. Right...like he hadn't done that a million times already. But with all that practice, he couldn't command any clear course now.

_I think we should rest,_ the kid said.

_Lazyass_. But he made no further arguments, keeping his eyes closed, hoping against hope that he'd be able to feel his hands again.

* * *

_Gig?_

Gig hadn't really been asleep, but he had to concentrate to give the kid even part of his attention.

_Tell me about dying._

_Kid...Ever heard of the cycle? I've died, what, three times? You've probably died over a hundred times._

_Yeah, but I don't remember it. And I...really don't want to die now._

Gig shifted his weight on his knees to a more comfortable position. A few hours ago he would've said that they weren't going to die there, but they'd both heard it several times that night. He wondered if either of them still believed it, or ever had. How cold was it? Would they die of exposure? Nice and quick? More likely they'd drawn the starvation and dehydration card - long and agonizing.

_Kid, look...We can get through anything - pretty much. We can get through dying too._

The silence was long enough that he thought she'd dropped off again, but she startled him. _I hope I don't remember this._

_Yeah, this is pretty shitty. The way it works is, in your next life, you'll have an inexplicable fear of mountains and/or cemeteries-_

_No. I mean - this whole life. I don't want to remember it. I don't want to have weird, never-explained dreams about it._

_Why not? _

She hesitated. _It would hurt too much._

_Nah, nah, kid. We still have several days ahead of us - a couple hours, definitely. You don't need to hit this mood yet._

_Gig! _Now she was almost snapping, which was a rarity.

_Chances are good you'll never dream about your past lives again,_ Gig said flatly, discarding the casualness. _That was part of our fusion, remember? Chances are also good that you'll never run into anyone from your past life again either. But if you and I and the stupid cow ever run into each other in the next cycle, chances are prime we'll never recognize each other._

_Don't talk,_ she said after a moment._ I don't want to think about that._

"Tough shit," he said aloud for emphasis. _You won't be able to think about anything else._

She sighed. _We were so - well - relatively optimistic when we started off. And Lady Virtuous and Danette were laughing like it was just a funny joke. They must've thought we'd be able to do this._

_Yeah, well, you didn't see either of them stuck in this position._

_Do you think..._

_Do I think what?_

_Never mind._

_Spill. It's not like you'll get another chance to tell me._

_It's not worth it._

_You got nothing to lose at this point, kid._

_I just...Lady Virtuous seemed so sure...Do you think...we would've fallen in love? I mean, eventually. I mean, do you think that's even possible?_

Gig rolled his eyes. _If you were a giant hotpod, sure. I'd be all over you._

_I told you it wasn't important._ Even in his head, her tone sounded vague.

_What's your problem? Aside from being doomed and all._

_You just...You're important to me, Gig._

Gig was not happy that she'd be able to sense his sudden heart-pounding, so he ignored it._ I'd say I'm important to the whole freakin' world. I was a god after all._

_No - it's not about you being a god. You're the one who always says 'soulmate', but I think I'm the one who really believes it._

Gig opened his eyes and looked down at his knees._ Listen, kid, you don't need to talk like this. We still have time to get loose from this thing._

_You don't have to lie to me. We're not getting loose._

_Don't you want to die trying?_

_I - yeah. But this isn't something we can break with a sword._

Gig drew a deep breath. _We both need some rest.

* * *

_A chilly light paled the east before he heard the kid again. _Do you ever think about being Vigilance?_

Even in the cold weariness, a bolt of anger shot through him. "Whatever reason you have for bringing him up, it's not good enough."

_Vigilance loved Resilience, didn't he?_

Gig momentarily closed his mind off from the kid, a stream of memories flowing through his head - blood down Resilience's stomach, the knife, the realization that he should've acted, had time to stop her, but hadn't thought she was strong enough to act on her threats. Finally, he said, "Vigilance was a washed-out bitch who wasn't smart enough to save his own life, let alone anyone else's." It was a lie, but he didn't laugh. He couldn't escape that Vigilance was himself, a more complete version of himself, unbroken by Drazil's machinations. He didn't even go through his usual arguments to reassure himself that he was better off now. _Though - honestly - maybe I am._

_What?_ the kid asked.

Gig shook his head.

_Do you think you can love someone? I mean, would you want to?_

_A pep talk at two in the morning when I'm glued to a rock isn't going to make me love anything. Except for silence._

_I just - I think - if -_ _we did love each other, that'd be kind of-_

"You're scared and desperate, kid," Gig interrupted. "Not a good time to be talking."

_I'm not as scared as I was a little while ago._

_Great._ He closed his eyes again. _Fabulous._

_What a way to die, huh?_

Gig opened his eyes. Sat up. "Change of plans, kid."

"What?"

"We aren't dying." He beat back the thought of Resilience's knife. He had let her die...

"What're you going to do?"

He strained back against the tombstone.

"That isn't going to work."

"Shut up." He pulled back, muscles burning with pain. "I can't concentrate with you yapping." He clenched his eyes shut, even shut his mind off from the kid, saving all his energy for himself. _Okay, Vigilance. All the godlike power you were too half-assed to exploit - you'd better have left some for me. _Pain tore up one of his biceps. _You pansy. I can hear you sniveling. Pony up the power!_ The kid was saying something, but he couldn't tell what. _Bring it, you ass-backwards boulder! You can have my hands, but I'm taking the rest of it with me!_ Something snapped in his right wrist, but the sharp pain only spiked his adrenaline. _I'm Gig! I'm going to roll this rock right out of - _"AAAGH!"

Light exploded in front of his eyes.

* * *

When he woke, he was aware of light on the other side of his eyelids. Gig blinked up into a bright overcast sky. Hard rock punished the back of his head. He turned towards the warmth he felt along the side of his face. The kid's head rested alongside his own, her forehead to his chin. Her eyes were closed. Gig blinked again in contented lassitude - then snapped back to himself. He sat up, running his eyes along her for any sign of injury. None. The Tear had even thrown in her clothes when it restored her body.

Wait...

Gig twisted around to face the tombstone. All traces of the red crystalline seal had vanished - all outward traces, if not the interior. He looked down at his own body. It had been restored too - his hands, the broken wrist - his - oh holy hell - his chest - and - sweet hotpods of paradise, his hair was back to normal. "Kid! Hey, kid, wake up!"

She blinked, then reached a hand up to brush some hair out of her face - then tensed and stared at her hand. Then she rolled into a sitting position, looking down at herself.

"Not too shabby, huh?"

She turned and looked at him. "How did - did you just break the curse with brute force?"

He shrugged. "You got a better way?"

Slowly she shook her head. "How did you do it?"

"No clue. Especially because I've never had an opportunity to kick cosmic ass or anything like it before."

"Well..." She looked down at her hands again, flexing her fingers. "At least it solved the problem."

Gig hoisted himself to his feet. "You can pay me back by getting me hotpods every day for the rest of your life."

As he reached for the haversack, he heard the kid say, "Was it really the brute force that did it?"

He checked the buckles on the satchel. "What else?"

Gig knew what was coming the moment she stood up. Without looking over, he said, "You really wanna try that, kid?"

Apparently she really did. Gig flinched for a moment, but let her kiss him.

* * *

Gig was way past the flinching stage by the time they decided they were ready to go. "C'mon, kid, pick up the pace! We have a long hike ahead of us!"

She paused in the act of checking the onyx blade in its sheath. "What's the hurry? It's all downhill from here."

Gig turned back to her, lifting his eyebrows over an implacable stare. "Excuse me? Are you saying you _forgot?_"

She didn't have to say so. It was obvious from the way she stared back at him.

"What's golden and tender and juicy and impossible to find and whole reason we came out here in the first place?"

"Oh yeah." She rubbed the back of her neck. "The Golden Hotpod. It seems kind of insignificant now."

"Insignificant?" Gig turned away from her and began stalking up the mountain path. "Okay, kid, a little revisionist history before we continue: I never kissed you, not even once, and I sure as hell didn't say I loved you."

She caught up to him. "Take it as a compliment. You're more important to me than the Golden Hotpod."

"That's idolatry," Gig fired back. "And idolatry is a sin! Pray to the gods of pods for forgiveness." He rummaged in his pack and withdrew his map of the mountain. "Okay, we need to continue west. The pod's supposed to be in a secluded grotto on the western side of the mountain."

* * *

The grotto was a small cave set high in the mountain wall, which required some creative scrambling to get into.

"How could anything grow in here?" the kid asked, her voice echoing. "There's almost no light."

"Hotpods are the gods' perfect creation. Nothing can stop them." He carefully made his way down the cave. "Look for the leaves, kid. It's gotta be in here."

"Watch your head. There might be-"

Gig squealed. After the adventure, he admitted to kissing the kid and saying he loved her, but he never admitted to squealing like a toddler.

"Did you find it?" bounced the kid's eager voice from behind him.

Gig felt the leaves - huge, soft leaves - and he yanked - yoinked - ganked the pod out of the earth with a resounding pop! Breathing fast, he gathered the profusion of leaves in his arms and ran to the front of the grotto, the kid fast behind him. The sun had come out, and in its sparkling clarity, they pushed aside the mass of leaves to the pod Gig cradled, childlike, in his arms.

He fumbled to keep from dropping it, then cradled it in his hands. Then one hand. Then he held it up between his thumb and forefinger.

"It's..." the kid said, "...golden."

"It's bigger than a marble." Gig squinted. "Maybe."

The kid touched the tiny hotpod with one finger. "Well, we found it."

"It's like a baby rattlesnake," Gig said, reaching for his knife and beginning to peel the pod.

"Come again?"

"They're more deadly because all their poison is concentrated into a tiny package. So this has got to be loaded with taste." Very, very carefully, he managed to slice the pod in half. The kid took hers.

"Okay," Gig said. "Bottoms up."

They tipped their heads back and dropped the pieces in.

And chewed.

And chewed.

And swallowed.

"Well?" the kid asked.

"It was fine," Gig said firmly. "It was the most delicious, most orgiastic hotpod experience of my life."

"Okay," was all the kid said.

Gig paused. "Stale bologna?"

"I thought it tasted more like spit."

"Damn." Gig disgustedly reshouldered his haversack and picked up his scythe. "Let's go."

As they walked down the path, Gig put his arm around the kid.

"What?"

"When we get home and the cow and Virtubitch gather round for a smugfest, I don't think we should tell them anything."

"Why not?"

"Because they are two of the most unhelpful bitches in the world. I think we can agree on that."

"They weren't exactly sympathetic," the kid admitted.

"No matter how much they beg, we aren't giving any details." She nodded. "Except one."

She looked up. "What?"

"They missed out." He kissed her. "The Golden Hotpod was delicious."


End file.
